Northern Song Dynasty, Taiping Prefecture, Eqiao County.
It was the tenth lunar month, the beginning of winter. A gust of north wind blew the withered, yellow leaves off the trees, laying a thick layer across the modest square courtyard that crunched underfoot.
Deep within Tonghua Lane lived the family of Magistrate Xu, who had just been transferred here in the first half of the year. The residence was built in a typical Jiangnan style, with white walls and gray tiles. Clusters of ivy and Chinese trumpet vines were planted along the edges. Now, stripped of their leaves, the withered vines clinging to the walls looked somewhat desolate.
Before the hour of mao [5:00 AM – 7:00 AM], the cries of the night soil collectors[1]human waste collectors jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2981349_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2981349_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); in Tonghua Lane and the rustling sounds of older female servants and maids getting up and moving about the courtyard drifted into the West Courtyard.
The maid, Fang Li, estimated the time in her heart. She walked to the edge of the canopy bed and softly said, “Miss, today is the fifth day of the month.”
As soon as her voice fell, the person under the quilt rolled over. Poking her head out, she asked, full of sleepiness, “Is the satin skirt ready?”
“Rest assured, Miss, it has been prepared.”
Fang Li knew that Xu Zhihe would unfailingly visit the Baichuan Bookstore at the beginning of every ten-day period, so she had prepared that satin skirt—which had already been worn for several years—early on.
Xu Zhihe nodded gently.
Although she was born into a magistrate’s family, she was not highly regarded. Aside from that satin skirt, which had been washed and mended for three years, she didn’t have any presentable clothes to show off.
Fang Li helped Xu Zhihe over to sit in front of a heavily worn bronze mirror. Dipping a wooden comb lightly into osmanthus oil, she smoothly combed down her head of full of black hair.
The thick, jet-black hair was soft and smooth, exuding a faint, sweet fragrance.
Fang Li’s fingers nimbly shuttled through the strands of hair. With a smile in her voice, she asked, “Miss, will you wear a double-bun style again today?”
Smelling the sweet scent of osmanthus coming from her hair, Xu Zhihe gave a drowsy hum of agreement. Afterward, realizing how feeble her voice sounded, she forced herself to perk up.
She never expected that after finally surviving three years of high school—waking up earlier than the roosters and sleeping later than the dogs—and getting through four years of 8:00 AM college classes, she would somehow accidentally transmigrate to the reign of Emperor Renzong in the Northern Song Dynasty right at her graduation ceremony.
An 8:00 AM class, converted to the time of this era, was exactly four quarters into the hour of chen. If she only woke up at this time, she would inevitably be severely reprimanded by the principal wife, Madam Lü.
Xu Zhihe had spent several years in her swaddling clothes resigning herself to this reality: she had been “promoted” from an 8:00 AM start to a 6:00 AM start.
To be honest, Xu Zhihe still had no idea why she had transmigrated to the Northern Song era.
But since she was here, she might as well make the best of it. She had adjusted her mindset quite well. By listening to the adults’ conversations during her childhood, she learned that she was born in the eighth year of the Tiansheng era, during the early reign of Emperor Renzong of Song.
Now, it was the sixth year of the Qingli era.
Over half a month ago, the Memorial to Yueyang Tower, written by Vice Grand Councilor Fan Zhongyan, was published. Once it spread, it quickly sparked fervent discussions among scholars.
After about the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, Fang Li’s voice rang in her ear: “Miss, it’s done.”
Fang Li had deft hands. The double-bun style looked neat and charming, though it appeared a bit empty without any pearl or floral ornaments to embellish it.
Xu Zhihe sized herself up in the mirror, took some water to rinse her mouth and wash her face, and then said to Fang Li beside her, “Let’s go. Time to pay respects to the principal wife.”
At three quarters into the hour of mao [5:45 AM], the main hall of the principal wife, Madam Lü, was already full of people.
Madam Lü was still in the back room. Xu Da-lang [Eldest Brother] sat in the seat of honor, casually sipping tea.
Fourth Girl, Xu Yuyan, was fiddling with a pearl hair ornament. The ornament was adorned with pink pearls; it had been entrusted to someone to deliver from Mingzhou by her biological elder sister, the Second Girl. She cherished it greatly and had been playing with it in her hands for several days.
Concubine Du brought along Fifth Brother and Seventh Brother. A faint impatience showed on her face, but out of some apprehension, she did not dare to vent her temper.
Xu Zhihe had specially changed her clothes today, so she didn’t arrive very early. When the others saw her wearing that satin dress, their eyes flickered slightly, but in the end, no one said anything.
A simple satin skirt—only a concubine-born daughter like her, lacking the support of a biological mother, would treasure it so deeply as a precious gem.
Happy to be ignored, Xu Zhihe quietly slipped over to a corner at the lower end of the seating arrangement and sat down with Fang Li.
Standing behind Xu Zhihe, Fang Li leaned in slightly and whispered into her ear, “Miss, Concubine Yao hasn’t arrived yet.”
Seeing the time for morning greetings rapidly approaching, the most favored concubine, Madam Yao, along with the Sixth Girl she raised by her side, were nowhere to be seen. Everyone felt a rising sense of urgency. The principal wife, Madam Lü, was a strict woman; if they provoked her displeasure, they would be tormented over next month’s monthly allowance.
Time passed, minute by minute.
Finally, under everyone’s watchful eyes, Madam Lü walked out unhurriedly from the back hall and sat in the main seat.
Today, she wore a dark green padded jacket trimmed with animal fur and a string of jade beads around her neck, making her look quite opulent.
Blending into the crowd, Xu Zhihe dutifully offered her greetings to Madam Lü.
“Greetings, Mother / Madam.”
Madam Lü’s eyelids lifted slightly. Seeing Concubine Yao’s seat completely empty, a brief crack appeared on her dignified and majestic face. An instant later, she restored her original calm and unhurried demeanor.
However, her hands hidden within her sleeves couldn’t help but clench tightly.
It was only the fifth day of the month, yet Madam Yao had already used illness as an excuse to skip greetings for three days. She was truly putting her, the lady of the house, in her eyes less and less.
Concubine Yao was the third concubine Magistrate Xu had taken into the manor during his assignment two posts ago. Though her background was humble, she was born with good looks: a slender and soft waist, affectionate eyes, and a talent for singing. Now in her early thirties, she very much held Magistrate Xu’s favor.
Even the Sixth Girl by Concubine Yao’s side took advantage of her biological mother’s power and was often arrogant and willful at home.
You could hear a pin drop in the main hall. Madam Lü’s gaze rested lightly on Concubine Yao’s empty seat, and she remained silent for a long time.
Today probably would not end peacefully.
Watching her movements, Xu Zhihe began to feel anxious in her heart.
Madam Lü lightly brushed the hair at her temples and spoke to an older female servant standing beside her, “Mama Sun, take a trip on my behalf to see what is wrong with Madam Yao. If she is truly ill, we must invite a doctor over for a consultation.”
If she wasn’t sick, then the charge of disrespecting the principal wife could not be shaken off.
Mama Sun received her orders and immediately marched out. She walked with a majestic and imposing air, looking as if she were going to interrogate a criminal.
With her taking this trip, no one knew how long they would all have to wait.
The eldest son of the Xu family was the first to stand up. He said to Madam Lü, “Mother, your son still needs to review his coursework, so I will return to my room first.”
Xu Yingdi was the apple of Madam Lü’s eye. Even though he had failed the imperial examination in the first half of the year, which even delayed his marriage to the daughter of the Prefect of Xuanzhou, in Madam Lü’s heart, nothing could compare to her legitimate eldest son.
Hearing this, a smile appeared on her no-longer-young face. “Good boy, your studies are important. Things are fine on Mother’s end.”
After Xu Yingdi left, the relatively calm main hall suddenly grew restless.
Concubine Du hesitated to speak a few times, only to be completely ignored by Madam Lü.
Madam Lü looked at the people seated below. Deliberately ignoring the Fifth and Seventh Brothers born to Concubine Du, her gaze landed on Xu Zhihe.
“Third Girl, why did you bring out your satin skirt to wear today?”
Suddenly being called out, a hint of surprise flashed through Xu Zhihe’s heart, but she quickly suppressed it.
She stood up obediently and replied respectfully, “To answer Mother, your daughter is going to the Baichuan Bookstore to buy books today.”
Magistrate Xu’s official post changed every three years. Among the younger generation in the family, aside from a few boys who could attend the county school, the girls mostly had a tutor invited to the home for seven or eight months. They learned in a scattered and fragmented way, never amounting to much.
Neither her own Fourth Girl nor Madam Yao’s Sixth Girl managed to learn anything notable from the tutor. Only the Third Girl followed the tutor diligently, occasionally even going out to buy a few books.
Madam Lü managed all the affairs of the Xu residence, so naturally, she had heard of this. She shared the same mindset as her eldest daughter, believing that it was useless for girls to study; it would be better to use that free time to learn how to manage inner-household affairs. However, on second thought, the Third Girl seemed quiet and taciturn, and wouldn’t be marrying into any noble or wealthy households in the future anyway, so she might as well let her do as she pleased.
Besides, she was using her own monthly allowance.
Madam Lü’s voice softened a bit. “Although you are a concubine-born daughter, you represent the master’s face in Eqiao County. When going out, you should indeed dress formally. Sit down.”
Xu Zhihe’s expression remained unchanged. “Thank you, Mother.”
Naturally, Madam Lü’s attitude toward Xu Zhihe wasn’t as good as it was toward her own biological children. But compared to her treatment of Concubine Du and Concubine Yao, it was considered calm and mild; at the very least, she wouldn’t openly mock her.
As for the few piercing remarks Madam Lü made, whether intentional or not, Xu Zhihe couldn’t be bothered to care.
Her biological mother, Concubine Zhang, was ill-fated. She caught a cold right after giving birth to her and failed to hold on until the following spring, leaving behind the infant Xu Zhihe as she passed away.
Before transmigrating to the Northern Song, Xu Zhihe had watched plenty of historical dramas. She knew that as long as she knew her place and avoided provoking the principal wife’s bad luck, life wouldn’t be too unbearable.
After all, the principal wife’s focus was entirely on those two lively concubines.
Xu Zhihe accepted this situation—ignored by her legitimate mother and unacknowledged by her biological father—very well.
Life had to be lived no matter where you were. Being born into the family of a minor official was far better than having to go up a mountain before dawn to cut pigweed. She was content and happy with her lot.
Half a cup of tea later, Mama Sun walked into the room with a sickly expression. Standing next to Madam Lü, she spoke in a complex tone: “Madam, Concubine Yao is with child. She is already three months along.”
As soon as the words fell, the people in the main hall harbored entirely different thoughts.
The Seventh Brother beside Concubine Du, Xu Yingsong, was still young and didn’t understand what Mama Sun meant. He asked in a childish voice, “What does it mean to be with child?”
The Fifth Brother, Xu Yingzhang, was precocious and sensible. He pulled on his younger brother and said sternly, “A’Song, don’t ask.”
Madam Lü forced a smile, her expression tight and fake. “This is a good thing. Mama Sun, check my dowry inventory, and retrieve some top-grade medicinal herbs. Send them to Madam Yao to nourish her body.”
Mama Sun, her face full of complicated emotions, let out an “Aye” and went down to prepare.
Seeing Mama Sun leave, Madam Lü could no longer be bothered to deal with the room full of people. She waved her hand, dismissing them all.
Xu Zhihe breathed a sigh of relief. It ended earlier than she had imagined.
She was seated toward the back, closest to the door. Once she had finished bowing with the rest of the group, she grabbed Fang Li and made a beeline for the main gates of the Xu residence.
The Xu residence was deep within Tonghua Lane. Along the way, there were white walls and gray tiles on both sides. The bluestone pavement was scattered with fallen leaves blown from the courtyards lining the alley, all covered in a layer of white frost.
Emerging from the alley, Xu Zhihe took a deep breath and walked toward the marketplace.
The best time of the day is the morning, and Eqiao County’s early light had already begun to shine. The main street along the river bustled with people. Some were pulling single-wheeled carts, rushing to deliver vegetables to their masters’ homes. Some carried bamboo baskets on shoulder poles, hawking their wares through the streets and alleys. Others had set up thatched sheds to open shop and do business; the moment a steamer pot was uncovered, a fragrant cloud of hot steam billowed out, making the children playing on the street stop in their tracks and drool…
Xu Zhihe walked past the bubbling, boiling sounds coming from the large pots and threaded her way through the dense mist. Taking a light jog down a crooked, winding path, she finally arrived at the front door of the Baichuan Bookstore.
A shop assistant at the Baichuan Bookstore was just opening up. Yawning as he removed the wooden shutter boards one by one, he was carrying them inside when he saw Xu Zhihe standing opposite him.
Magistrate Xu hadn’t been in his post for long, but the magistrate’s Third Girl was already well-known to the locals in the area.
Seeing her arrive, the assistant waved his hand with a smile on his face. “Third Girl has arrived very early today.”
Panting heavily and with zero strength left in her legs, Xu Zhihe heard the assistant’s voice. Resting her hands on her knees, she forced a smile and replied, “Morning.”
Tiny beads of sweat slid down her temples, crystal clear in the sunlight. Her well-maintained skin possessed a fair, rosy luster, so delicate that even the fine peach fuzz on it could be seen clearly. Secretly stunned by her beauty, the assistant hurriedly averted his gaze, not daring to look any longer.
T/n: New Novel New Era!!!! The first chapter is up! Enjoy the ride and do join us on this adventurous ride 😍🎉🎊. If you want to support me, do check my other novels on my Translator’s Page🫶. You can support the original author here. Please vote on NU here. If you’re interested, you can also buy me a Ko-Fi. Happy Reading 🤓 💅.
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